It is getting to be that time of the season for this Phillies core group… either put up or shut up. The team has two more games on this devilish 10-game road trip to make a statement before they come home for the last 10-games before the All-Star Game. Jimmy Rollins said last month that the veterans understand they have to contend or this team might be broken up. A series win against the first-place Pirates followed by a successful homestand is a step in that direction.

It won’t be easy. The Bucs had won nine straight before Jonathan Pettibone and beat them last night. The Phils face lefty Jeff Locke on Wednesday, who hasn’t lost since his opening start and has a 1.07 ERA over his last eight. Locke dominated the Phillies lineup in April, allowing only two hits in six shutout innings of a 2-0 Pirates win. The Phils will counter with John Lannan who had his best start (and only win) as a Phillie last Friday in Los Angeles.

The Phillies are without Ryan Howard on Wednesday, who admitted his knee was sore after last night’s win. Before collecting two hits and an RBI last night, Howard had been 0 for his last 20 at-bats with 11 strikeouts. That slides Domonic Brown into the clean-up spot and the suddenly hot Delmon Young into the five-hole. Young is hitting .462 with nine RBIs through the first eight games of this road trip.

Smithwicks has been around forever yet it never gets old. This red ale is one of the most common Irish brews and is perfect if you are in that Irish mood and want something lighter than a Guinness and a bit more than a Harp lager. It might not jump out at you, but you know that you are going to get a consistently solid beer, and a lot of times, that is enough.

It took watching a replay a couple times to get a better feel for if Lannan should have been mtoring home on the Chase knock. In person might have provided an obvious take, but Walker really didn’t rucj his throw, and Lannan was still gunned down with relative ease. Whether Walker has an arm you run on is not my thing. But whoever made the snap decision, Lannan (no speedster) or Ryno, even though on 2 outs you step up your chance taking, it looked like reckless aggressiveness.

They scored the five runs but unfortunately needed 7 thanks to my number one man Aumont. I have no doubt that he will go somewhere else and be great but it’s not going to be here. His stuff is “filthy” alright.

No AFW they all just suck. Blame should be put on the Phillies minor league system and operations. They have not produced a good bullpen arm since Madson. Who at that was a failed starter turned into a pen arm.